Unique Jewelry

February 27, 2011 · 1 comment

When hearing the words, ‘unique jewelry’, what comes to your mind?

The most popular answers given are costume jewelry or funky jewelry. Unique jewelry can resemble both due to its distinct style but the materials used construct it are very different. In essence, costume jewelry uses cheaper and generic products to make lovely designs minus the value, whereas, unique jewelry used precious metals, gemstones and customized materials to ensure durability.

What most jewelry wearers don’t associate unique jewelry with are the terms of designer jewelry, custom jewelry and handcrafted jewelry when it is, in fact, a combination of those three components, all rolled into one personalized embellishment.

The only difference that lies between designer and custom jewellery and unique jewellery, is that unique jewellery can be duplicated if the client so chooses. Most people choose not to repeat the design again to keep it as a designer piece of jewellery but there are certain occasions that a reason may arise to replicate the design – such as a wedding parties, family occasions or other personal reasons/events.

Unique jewelry creates bold statements about the designer and the client which is where the handcrafted aspect comes in this customized, designer wear. While earrings, rings and necklaces are considered typical styles of wearing jewelry, unique jewelry can take on brand new designs that include different ways of wearing it.

What puts unique jewelry in the same class as custom jewelry is both the unique aspect along with the client’s suggestions slipped into the design process. The important focus here is that clients completely rely on their jeweler’s artistic skill to take reign and design something enviable and stunning.

From the unique point of view, it’s fantastic because many of the resources used are brought in by the jeweller who is able to use their trade connections to source some  rare and impressive gemstones and other exquisite precious materials.

The best thing about unique jewelry is that the sky’s the limit when creating it and there’s nothing boring about it! It’s fresh, different, meaningful, colourful, twisty, square, worn anywhere and everywhere – so go ahead and have fun with it!

With a limitless variety in which to create unique jewelry, here are a few ideas that will, perhaps, inspire a little of your own creativity:

Upcycling/Collage:

A favorite trend throughout creating unique jewelry is gathering old pieces of jewelry, broken jewelry or even certain memorabilia that’s been lying around waiting to be put on some sort of display. Think of collages – lots of memories arranged all into one, big picture to portray beautiful times and places – the same goes with this method of designing unique jewelry. By utilizing all of the little bits of precious metals, gemstones and other precious materials collecting dust in jewelry boxes waiting to be put into practical use, it can then all be arranged into one artistic piece of unique jewelry.

Body Piercings:

While not everyone is into body piercings, there are quite a few that are mesmerized by it. It’s more popular than one might think because believe it or not, it’s not only designed for rebellious teenagers. There’s quite a history behind it and in many cultures, having piercings in places other than the ears is as common as wearing a wedding ring!

For those not wearing body piercings for cultural reasons, belly rings come in as the most popular trend for cosmetic body piercings which has, in turn, begged for the availability of uniquely, created designs. Some enjoy wearing a single gemmed stud while others veer towards adding customized charms, dangling gems or shaped precious metals to show personal tastes.

Ethnic:

Those who have travelled the globe or have arrived from different countries to settle miss the cultural aspect seen in different locations. Incorporating tribal designs or colors, stones or artifacts and other materials only found in these locations creates a distinctive, unique piece of jewelry that allows for culture to speak for itself.

Collectibles:

With genres that generate collections of fantasy (think Star Trek), pop culture (think Elvis Presley) or historic (think War Re-enactments) memorabilia – along with many others – always present, imagine all of the ways it can be integrated into jewelry! Although some prefer to leave their collectibles untouched, there are others who enjoy proudly displaying their obsessions for all to see.

Bridal:

Brides like to keep their bridesmaids coordinated and oftentimes, it doesn’t stop only at dress attire. A maid-of-honor may share the same bridal bracelet as the bride, however, instead of pearls or diamonds, might opt for colored gemstones to allow the bride to stand out on her celebratory day. Brides who gift jewelry to their bridesmaids may decide to take the route of keeping her crew in sync by presenting them with the same bridal jewelry design, but all with one little change added to personalize each accessory accordingly.

Occasions:

It’s memorable to give a symbolic memento to someone special as a gift on an extraordinary day. Specialized unique jewelry for anniversaries, baby and bridal showers, birthdays and congratulations are just a few of the ways people enjoy showing love and affection to individuals they hold close to their hearts. By engraving a personal message, date or name or adding birthstones, there are numerous ways to incorporate personalized messages of endearment.

Nothing makes jewellers happier than getting the opportunity to design and create unique jewelry. It provides the opportunity to take some time aside from their daily responsibilities and put their amazing talent to use.

Being able to use exceptional and exclusive material to create brilliant masterpieces that illustrate their personal artistic flair is every jeweller’s dream. This is the secret of what holds the pure definition of unique jewelry because this is what can never, ever be recreated!

Unique is one of a kind and is sometimes a little funky but it’s the artist whose heart lays within it those pieces of jewelry that makes this style of jewelry carry its title of uniqueness!

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Amazing Pink Diamond Facts & Statistics

February 23, 2011 · 0 comments

  • A 1 carat pink diamond weighs 0.2 grams which is equivalent to a single wood stick match.
  • The most exceptional and rare pink diamonds are sold by annual invitation-only tender. The tender represents the opportunity to bid on exceptional diamonds that are not publicly available.
  • Suitable pink diamonds for the tender are generally more than half a carat in size and will have been collected over a one year period leading up to the tender.
  • In Australia, the produced pink diamonds from Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine are so highly valued that the 40-60 best stones each year are put out to tender.
  • It takes 1 year to reach the target of 50 to 60 pink diamonds accumulated out of the 600 million stones produced by Argyle each year.
  • A half-carat pink diamond’s worth will fetch approximately around $100,000 or more, yet you can buy a fine white diamond for around $5000.
  • Because the high appreciation rate of a pink diamond of around 20% a year, it has to be assumed that the sky may well be the limit once the Argyle mine closes.
  • The Argyle Diamond Mine is located in a remote corner of North West Australia and it produces over 90 percent of the world supply in pink diamonds.
  • The natural coloured pink diamond market is very strong at the moment and prices have risen by 35% within the last six months.
  • The highest demand for pink diamonds is for the 1-1.5 carat stones.
  • A pink diamond’s premium in price demand depends on strong saturation of colour and a VS (higher clarity).
  • It is traditional that first-time owners of large pink diamonds decide on the name of the diamond, a title that will stay with the gem throughout history.
  • Given the results of significant pink diamond auctions and sales over the last decade, Harold Weinstein limited Gemmological Laboratory has estimated that a current value might range from CDN$8million to CDN$12 million.
  • The world’s largest pink diamond is the Darya-ye-Noor which is estimated to weigh between 175 and 195 carats.
  • The most famous pink diamond in the world that did not really exist was the fictitious Pink Panther Diamond.
  • It was reported that when Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez that famous pink diamond engagement ring, websites around the world, experienced 300-400% increase in traffic.
  • The Steinmetz Pink Diamond, which weighs 59.60 carats, was found in South Africa and is the largest Fancy Vivid pink diamond in the world.
  • Natural pink diamonds are so rare that most jewellers have never seen one and will never own one.
  • Fancy pink diamonds were once available only to royalty.
  • An exceptional 1.06 carat oval pink diamond was one of the outstanding gems Argyle showed to prospective North American buyers at the first pink diamond tender in the U.S.
  • The pink diamond colour is believed to have been created through structural pressures exerted on carbon molecules during diamond formation up to three billion years ago.
  • There is only 1 large pink diamond out of the top 66 largest diamonds in the world.
  • Some significant pink diamonds were discovered from the Abaete in Brazil, notably, the 79 carat pink diamond of May, 1999.
  • Caked with 1225 dazzling pink diamonds set in platinum, this Nokia Supreme handset becomes the most expensive mobile phone in the world!
  • The Australian Aboriginal people believe that the Argyle mine was created when a group of women were fishing for a barramundi and it escaped the net. They also believe that the varying colours of Argyle’s diamonds are from the different parts of the barramundi – with pink diamonds’ colouring coming from its heart.
  • An Argyle pink diamond’s wealth is considered to be the most concentrated form of wealth found anywhere in the world.
  • Pink diamond colours range from Red to Pink, Purplish Pink, to Pink Rosé, Pink Champagne and Violet.
  • Every Argyle pink diamond’s clarity and colour is 100% natural!
  • Today, the Argyle diamond mine is currently transitioning from an open pit mine to an underground mine which estimates to extend the production of pink diamonds until at least 2019.
  • The discovery of pink diamonds was found buried 100 miles deep within the Earth’s surface.
  • An entire year’s worth of production of pink diamonds measuring over half a carat would fit in the palm of your hand and the larger rare violet diamonds would barely fill a teaspoon!
  • In 1526, the Rajah of Agra presented Babur, the first Moghul Emperor, with the light pink Agra diamond as a present for sparing his life when Babur’s son captured the city! This pink diamond adornment was worn in his turban for many years.
  • Pink graining is caused within a diamond is a natural deformation of the diamond crystal while it is in a semi-solid state.
  • Pink diamonds have only been found in a few mines across the world: The Rich Golconda River in India, Brazil and Tanzania – all produced notable pink diamonds in the 17th and 18th centuries.
  • The value of a pink diamond is worth 20 times more than its white diamond equivalent.
  • Type I diamonds are derived their colour from impurities embedded in the diamond, while the pink diamonds are classed as a Type II and they get their colour from a process believed to be known as Plastic Deformation.
  • Since formal records were first kept at the beginning of the 1980s, prices for pink diamonds have increased in value by an average of 20% per year, which is 300% better investment than a rental property in Australia, according to the Australian burial of statistics.
  • The market for natural coloured pink diamonds is very strong at the moment and prices have risen by 35% within the last six months. If that pace continues, an investment in a natural coloured pink diamonds today could double in value in the next 12-18 months.
  • It is estimated by 2018, a pink diamond of comparable quality could possibly sell for USD $750,000 plus!
  • In 2010, a pink diamond auctioned for nearly $2.3 million, marked the highest winning bid for a gem in Canadian history.
  • In 2009, a ring with a pink diamond the size of a chickpea sold for a record HK$83.5 million ($10.8 million) at a Hong Kong auction of art, gems and antiques that was fuelled by Chinese buying.
  • A rare pink diamond fetched 45.44 million Swiss francs ($45.75 million) in 2010, virtually doubling the previous record to become the most expensive stone ever sold at auction and underline the strength of the international jewellery market.
  • Damien Hirst’s diamond skull For The Love Of Goa, valued at £50million, is on show in Florence but his new and controversial, ‘baby’ version is cast in platinum and covered in 8,128 pavé-set perfect diamonds, 7,105 natural fancy pink diamonds and, on the fontanel, 1,023 white diamonds.

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Custom Jewellery

February 20, 2011 · 1 comment

It has previously been mentioned that there is a fine line drawn between designer jewellery and custom (designing) jewellery. Since that time was spent more on what defines designer jewellery, this time around, we’ll delve into custom jewellery.

Just to jog your memory a little bit, the key component that separates designer jewellery from custom jewellery is who controls the designing process. When a jewellery designer is making a designer piece of jewellery, it’s completely thought up and created through the jeweller’s artistic eye. The goal is to design a masterpiece that will remain as a one-of-a-kind, never to be recreated again piece of jewellery. The amount of dedication, precision and materials used to complete this unique work of art requires a top-notch jeweller, the most precious of metals and the most magnificent of jewels.

Custom jewellery, on the other hand, is client based meaning that the design is thought out or portrayed from the client to the jeweller. It’s up to the customer to determine carat size, width of bands or chains, gemstone, types of precious metals and/or other materials they wish to incorporate into their cherished creation.

More importantly than only how the jewellery looks, it’s the sentimental reasons that go into the custom design that create a truly, original piece of jewellery. Think about heirloom jewellery – what makes it an heirloom? Many times, they’re older pieces of jewellery that are no long created but that isn’t specifically what makes them an heirloom. The secret is the emotional attachment to these pieces of jewellery that are passed down the familial line – sometimes for centuries!

It’s the same thought process behind customised jewellery. A proud husband may gift his wife a diamond ring for the birth of their first child. Mothers may wish to design similar rings or pendants that can grow as her family does, adding birthstones to signify her loved children.

Spouses may want to engrave their jewellery for anniversaries or weddings to include an endearing term or date; perhaps also including a special stone indicating something only each other understands.

Just recently, a very touching and inspiring experience occurred, here at Eskae Private Jewellers, requiring a customised engagement ring for an older couple. Both had, sadly, lost their spouses. Miraculously, this amazing couple found happiness again within each other and became engaged! Wanting to treasure the precious memories each had with their previous spouses, the couple wished to incorporate jewellery from their previous marriages to produce a magnificent engagement ring in honor of their deaths. Talk about a masterpiece!

From a jewellers viewpoint, customised jewellery is a great choice for clients (especially repeat clients) BUT it’s just as fantastic for the designing jeweller! Jewellers are artists at heart and customised jewellery allows for the required finances and extra time to do exactly what got them into the jewellery trade to begin with: Creative design.

Because ordering and purchasing vast amounts of gold and jewels are limited, jewellers save the bulk for their retail stock which doesn’t leave much time left over for their passion of designing. When a request for customised jewellery comes in, that means extra money and time for the jeweller to get the best custom materials by using their trade connections to make sure that you end up with the best piece of custom jewellery possible for your budget

Since custom jewellery has a completely different set of rules than all other jewellery – that is to turn your dream jewellery into a reality – quite literally! The processes used for designing are completely different than your run-of-the-mill window shopping wishes.

For custom jewellery newbies, when first meeting with your jeweller, he/she will sit down with you and work the details you have in mind into a sketch. After your initial meet-and-greet, the jeweller will begin incorporating his thoughts and master mindedness to expand your ideas into several more design options for you to peruse through.

Since most of the custom work revolves around mounting, some of the best custom jewellery creations are created from older or heirloom jewellery you already possess that you may have already thought of incorporating into your design. If you have an heirloom  or a family engagement ring you’d like to adjust to suit your tastes or update it while keeping its sentimental value , this is the perfect opportunity to do so!

For those lacking any creativity in their blood but still wish to have a piece of custom jewellery, fear not! This just means more fun for the jeweller to come up with some designs that can either blend your older jewellery into a new piece or coming up with a new idea altogether.

While many jewellers use old methods to create custom jewellery, many newer technologies have been incorporated, such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing), to add a large variety of newer options that can’t be done by hand.

But how custom jewellery is made is another story for another time, so until then, happy designing!

Sam Kritsotakis

Private Jeweller

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Designer Rings And Men – Squashing Stereotypes

February 13, 2011 · 0 comments

It’s natural for most people to automatically associate women with jewellery because women are generally dainty creatures who love wearing beautiful diamonds and gems which enhance their femininity. While most men won’t always be as flamboyant about their love of jewellery, it doesn’t mean they don’t admire and appreciate jewellery just as much as women do.

Many times, when all a man wants to do is slip on a ring, he feels self conscious because whether it’s talked about or not, most men feel certain stigmas about wearing jewellery. They think other men may find it too feminine, perhaps it looks too flashy or the simple fact of just not knowing how to wear it properly will make them look gaudy.

Saying that, it may be hard for some folks to imagine that men’s designer rings are, in fact, the most booming area in men’s jewellery today! Some might not believe this to be true but herein is where the stereotype lies: Just because men are not as vocal about displaying their jewellery as women are (putting aside our bling-flaunting rappers) doesn’t mean they aren’t collectors and admirers of exquisite jewellery, especially rings. Men and designer rings have quite the history together for the simple fact that rings were initially worn to display wealth and status. As time went on and jewellery progressed, women started to wear them more fashionably for social acceptance and less representative of familial status whereas men continue to this very day, to keep rings as a symbol of accomplishment and manhood. Just to give a few examples – aside from wedding rings – of other men’s designer rings include:

  • Masonic rings
  • High school sports rings
  • College rings
  • Rings that represent countries, i.e., Super Bowl rings, Armed Forces rings
  • Signet rings

Unlike women, the majority of men aren’t window shoppers and instead, tend to go straight to the jeweller to have their rings designed for them. Because men do heavier lifting and more physical work than most women, their rings tend to carry the brunt of  misfortunes making a simple gold ring an easy target of daily wear and tear. Instead, durable, precious metals like platinum, titanium, palladium and tungsten are used to endure dings and scratched surfaces. Diamonds and gemstones are channel set into the ring to forego claws breaking or bending for the same reason. As always, how men wear jewellery is all about style and execution. Because wearing rings on certain fingers can look more feminine than others, it’s important to know the significance each finger represents. The commonly known international reasons for what wearing rings on each finger symbolizes goes a little something like this:

  • Thumb – Generally no ring
  • Index Finger – Means he/she is unmarried but looking for a steady relationship
  • Middle Finger – Shows he/she is in love with a fixed person
  • Ring Finger – Means he/she is engaged or married
  • Pinky Finger – Shows his/her determination for avoiding marriage from the cradle to the grave

For women, this formula can be applied since wearing designer rings is more sentimental and is usually based upon feelings and love. However, in ways that men’s rings are created differently than women’s rings, men wear their designer rings for different significant reasons which then changes this theory of wearing rings to a more updated, masculine formula:

  • Thumb – Historically worn on both, nowadays worn on one which allows the designer ring to portray a statement of self, sexuality or fashion
  • Index Finger – Wearing your designer ring here shows dominance, energy and power
  • Middle Finger – Similar to what showing the middle finger implies, wearing a designer ring on this finger shows rebellion, decadence and irreverence
  • Ring Finger – Universally shows marriage
  • Pinky Finger – Historically used to imprint their signet ring on a stamp or seal, nowadays is most commonly worn to show fashion; although some men also choose the pinky finger to beef up the gangster/mafia look or to show reference to gambling

Most men don’t wear rings on index and middle fingers but to each person, goes their own style. Wearing a ring on the pinky finger is commonly seen and recommended by all jewellers since it’s the fashionable and proper way for men to wear designer rings. Not to mention that it brings out one of a man’s most attractive features! It’s a well know fact that studies prove one of the most attractive physical traits women find in men are their hands.

An interesting trend that’s recently been on the rise is women proposing to their boyfriends with male engagement rings. Before your mind stereotypically wanders off, remember that it’s a man’s ring! It won’t hold a high diamond setting with lots of frilly highlighted details; it will be a customised thick band sometimes including a channel diamond, etching or even a two-toned band for those who wish to add some pizzazz. While men and their rings have a lengthy history together, the mindset is changing as more and more men are accepting designer rings, not only as a form of symbolism or another trophy to add to their collection, but as a fashionable statement of self that’s shows confidence and class. The bottom line is that designer rings are as equally desirable for men as they are for women and there’s nothing stereotypical about that!

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Private Jeweller

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Making The World's Most Expensive Engagement Rings Affordable For Everyone

February 6, 2011 · 0 comments

The 5 Most Expensive Engagement Rings In The World

Showing individuality has been the longest, ongoing trend with engagement rings as pointed out with our series on celebrity engagement rings and several of our other, more recent engagement ring related entries.

Wearing these one-of-a-kind engagement rings often comes with a price tag better left to millionaires due to the use of traditional white diamonds or large, coloured diamonds, sometimes using the combination of both.

To give you a little taste of designer creativity that knows no bounds, here’s an inside look at the five most expensive engagement rings in the world that have had a part in inspiring this trend:

With exquisite diamonds comes an exquisite name: Secret Kiss Of The Roses. This engagement ring holds the secret of a 4.18 carat white diamond wrapped encasing a 0.80 carat rose cut pink diamond – all set in platinum.[1]

Total Price: $545,000 (USD)

Internally Flawless is the name given to this, well, internally flawless 5.98 carat oval diamond with a total of 3.96 carat diamond surrounding to form a floral designed engagement ring – all set in platinum.[2]

Total Price: $1.3 million (USD)

Just in case it isn’t enough to just hide one finger under its enormous weight of 14.79 carats in one diamond, the Tiffany Oval Diamond engagement ring also comes with an additional ring complete with 12.3 carat diamond-shaped pillows. Both rings are placed in platinum settings.[3]

Total Price of the 14.79 carat diamond ring – $1.49 million (USD)

Total Price of the 12.3 carat diamond ring – $800,000 (USD)

Total Price: $2.29 million (USD)

Having a more traditional style of design to it, the De Beers Platinum engagement ring holds a massive 9 carat single white diamond set in what the title claims – platinum.[4]

Total Price: $1.83 million (USD)

And last, but as you’ll see, definitely not least, is the most expensive engagement ring in the world titled as The Chopard Blue Diamond Ring. The treasure that lies in this ring is – drumroll please – the extremely rare blue diamond that is 9 CARATS in size! This fortune of a rock sits in 18 carat white gold and therefore earns its title, by far, as the most expensive engagement ring in the world![5]

Total Price: $16.26 million (USD)

And This Is Affordable To Me, How?

With all this talk about extravagant, customised engagement rings, some may look down and find that their current engagement ring could use a little updating or those still in the market may have decided to take a step away from the traditional look and have begun looking for a more modernised, trendy version.

The problem that many people will run into, however, is this question: How on earth would I ever be able to afford such an extravagant, multi-coloured, multi-diamond engagement ring?

Let’s start by taking a look at a few documented costs of the average engagement ring buyer:

  • In 2009, Americans spent an average of $3,150 on engagement rings[6] with the average diamond size being .38 carats[7]
  • In Australia, the average cost of engagement rings run $5,116[8]
  • In 2005, the average amount of money in the UK spent on engagement rings was £1,289[9]

Keeping these averaged budgets in mind, there are certainly limitations as to how extravagant one can go when purchasing a unique engagement ring, but there isn’t any limitation on how creative one can be.

When thinking with a resourceful mind, options become available to re-create the design and style of an engagement ring you’ve chosen in your mind long ago. Talking with your jeweller is the best way to begin your process of customising or designing your ultimate engagement ring. By incorporating this step right at the get-go, options such as coloured diamonds or types of precious metals can be discussed to change around carat sizes, integrating gemstones and having the stones placed in ways that make it more affordable for you.

PLEASE REMEMBER – that while you can experiment with the quantity of the material needed for your ring, the one thing you must never substitute for is the quality of your ring! This can’t be stressed enough. While it may look beautiful the first time you place it on your finger, it won’t last and is guaranteed for replacement within a handful of years.

This means, when thinking diamond, think diamond! Don’t consider replacing a diamond with cubic zirconium. Instead, if you love pink diamonds and yet it’s entirely out of your budget, converse with your jeweller about pink gemstones that will resemble a pink diamond but cut the amount of money required down to something you can afford.

Is it still difficult to see the end result? To paint a clearer mental picture of how you can make one of the most expensive diamond engagement rings in the world end up on your ring finger, let’s explore how to make the original price for the Secret Kiss Of The Roses engagement ring come down to an amount that fits your budget.

When talking with your jeweller, you can discuss which gemstone and carat size suits you and your future engagement ring better. While there isn’t a single stone out there that perfectly imitate a brilliant white diamond, there are genuine gemstones that, to the naked eye, will give a great resemblance of a diamond. Substituting gemstones such as white sapphires and white topaz instead of white diamonds can be a great choice for the big carat selection. In place of the pink diamond, embed a pink tourmaline gemstone in the centre to create the proper effect of this magnificent ring. The budget that’s been set aside for the biggest price of the engagement ring – the diamond – can then be placed in the sequential order covering the band.

Keep in mind that customised or designer engagement rings can rack up the price if you’re not careful so keep things realistically within proportion. Instead of going for 4.18 carats, you may find you’ll be just as happy with a 1 carat gemstone.

The end result? You’ll have a customised, designer engagement ring that doesn’t forgo on quality and yet, gives the fantastic look of a multi-thousand dollar ring!

While trends may come and go, engagement rings have been around for many centuries and aren’t going anywhere – so have fun with it, book an appointment with your jeweller and get trendy!

References:

[1] http://www.mostinterestingfacts.com/collectible/the-4-most-expensive-engagement-rings-in-the-world.html

[2] http://engagementring.org/the-reason-behind-extensively-expensive-engagement-rings

[3] http://www.theoddpics.com/2010/07/4-most-expensive-engagement-rings-in.html

[4] http://www.worldinterestingfacts.com/wealthy/top-6-most-expensive-engagement-rings-in-the-world.html

[5] http://buydiamondrings.org/most-expensive-diamond-rings-ever

[6] http://blog.learnvest.com/learnvest-daily/average-cost-of-an-engagement-ring/

[7] http://www.ringenvy.com/engagement-rings/fun-%28and-useful%29-engagement-ring-facts

[8] http://money-guide.com.au/2009/12/average-wedding-cost-australia/

[9] http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargains-and-rip-offs/article.html?in_article_id=397984&in_page_id=5

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Eskae private Jeweller – apprentice week 12

February 3, 2011 · 0 comments

Hello again,

As promised last week I wanted to tell you about the 9ct white gold bangle I had begun making as a present for my sister’s 21st birthday.

To begin the bangle, I ordered a length of 9ct white gold half round wire 5mm wide and 1.6mm deep. I then cut the exact length (found by measuring my sister’s wrist and making a pseudo bangle from copper wire) needed and filed each end to make them smooth for soldering and joining. Next is annealing which as you know from other times I have spoke to you is to make the metal malleable for the next step of bending the wire into shape. I used pliers to begin the initial curved bangle shape, once the initial shape was started, I then used a large looking mandrill used specifically to create round bangles. This is how I created the bangle shape, and at this stage, the wire ends can be brought together. Like making a ring or jumpring, I over compensated when bringing the two ends together, to do this you bend the ends past each other then past the middle and back into alignment. Where the ends touch I then cut through with my hand saw to make sure that there was not any gaps for soldering. I was then ready to solder the ends. Once again I placed the ball of solder on the join line on inside of the piece of jewellery, in this case the of inside bangle and drew the solder outwards with my flame.

Next after placing the bangle into the acid to remove any unwanted flux from soldering, I began to smooth out the inside, especially where the solder join was, using a fine file. I next placed the bangle back onto the mandrill I used earlier and tapped the bangle with a rubber mallet to make the bangle perfectly round on the inside. I then changed the shape of the bangle to create an oval shaped bangle by bending the bangle with pliers.

To make sure the bangle was also parallel, I placed it on its side on a flat steel block and placed another steel block on top and hit the block with a large hammer. This makes sure the piece is parallel and straight the whole way around.

The next lesson I learnt and put into action was to place yourself in the client’s ‘shoes’. How does the piece feel to wear? Is it comfortable? Part of how I was shown how to do this was to run my finger over the edge of the inside of the bangle and it was quite sharpe. This is when I put a comfort fit on the edge, just like the inside of a ring, so that the jewellery is comfy and easy to wear and put on.

After the comfort fit came the tidying up of the outside of the piece, by using a fine file to create a smooth finish. Next, both the inside and outside of the bangle were emeryed and the inside was stamped with 375, which stands for 9ct.

For something a little extra special and a nice surprise for my sister I decided to place a diamond on the inside of the bangle.  Somewhere she could see and somewhere which she and I only knew about. To prepare the bangle for the diamond, I had to mark out where I wanted it to be placed. To find an even position I used grid paper to mark where the centre of the bangle was, opposite to the join line. I then created a mini bezel from 9ct white gold wire, it was emeryed and hammered flat to be placed on the marked position.

To solder the jumpring on, the bangle was heated all over and flux was placed on the marked area. The bezel was then placed on top and a ball of solder was put on the inside hole of the bezel and once again drawn to the outside. Once I was satisfied that the bezel was secure the bangle was put back into the acid to remove the excess flux.

To neaten up the inside of the bezel and open it up slightly for the diamond, a ball burr was used. At this stage the bangle is ready to be finished, by polishing and rhodium plating.

As you can see in the photos the bangle turned out a treat and my little sister was very surprised to find a diamond on the inside of her new birthday present.

Until I speak to you again, enjoy your week ahead, just as I have this week at Eskae Private Jeweller making beautiful jewellery.

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